Material handling device



1964 H. HIMMELBERGER ETA]... 3,

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 14, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i=- 2/ 2a INVENTORS Harold Himme/berger f; Harry 6. Cook u) 3 s/ 34 Q 33 zlwfi; W

"" f, ATTORNEYS 1964 H. HIMMELBERGER ETAL MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14,- 1962 11, 1964 H. HIMMELBERGER ETAL 3,120,939

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 14, 1962 1964 H. HIMMELBERGER ETAL 3,120,939

' MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed Fe b. 14, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 64 v I i 1 73 24 25 F/a/z a FL 27 l I l I I 68 g g I 1 V 73 23 7/ I 1 J United States Patent 3,120,939 MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Harold Himmelherger, Silver Spring, and Harry G. Cook, Roclrville, Md, assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Scoretary of the Navy Filed Feb. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 173,314 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-119) The present invention relates generally to a device for supporting heavy loads and more particularly to new and improved handling bands especially designed to facilitate the handling of aerial missiles or components thereof during testing or other essential operations or in the event of transportation of such missiles or components.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved material handling bands that will be positive and safe in operation so that danger of accidental release of the material being handled is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved material handling devices which may be released with the utmost dispatch and facility.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved material handling bands that may be readily adjusted after engagement thereof with an article to be supported, so that vibration or shock will not cause release thereof.

A still further object is to provide new and improved handling bands which may be readily attached to a dolly structure and released therefrom.

Other objects and many of the attendent advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the device or band constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the device of FIG. 1, illustrating the band releasing means;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2, as viewed from the opposite side, and illustrating the band adjusting means;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the arrangement of FIG. 3, illustrating the band adjusting means;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the arrangement of FIG. 2, partially in elevation and partially in section, illustrating the hanger arrangement;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the band release means, partially in elevation and partially in section;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the booster illustrating the forward and aft band assemblies attached thereto;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view illustrating the booster supported on a dolly by the forward and aft band assemblies;

FIG. 9 is a view in end elevation of the arrangement of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detail perspective view illustrating the forward end of the booster and the forward band assembly attached thereto;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 8, illustrating the manner in which the band assemblies are releasably attached to the dolly; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11.

Briefly, the handling assemblies of the present invention include a band arrangement having a rigid semicircular section and a flexible section, the flexible section being connected to one end of the rigid section by adjustable means, the other end thereof being connected to the rigid section by a quick release latch means. The

3,120,939 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 rigid section is provided with lugs at the terminal ends thereof so that a missile booster or component may be supported on a booster transfer dolly, the rigid section being further provided with a shackle to facilitate lifting of the booster when desired. The booster under test or transportation, as the case may be, is provided with at least two of such handling bands, hereinafter referred to as the forward and after booster bands, the forward band being additionally provided with a pair of mutually spaced guides, which are used to orient the forward band with respect to the forward booster shoe.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 7, the bands constructed in accordance with the present invention are generally indicated by the numeral 10 and 10', 10 being the after booster band and 10 being the forward booster band. The bands each include a semicircular rigid section or saddle 11 having a shackle 11' at the top thereof to facilitate a lifting operation, the rigid sections being composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example as heavy gauge flat sheet metal. Extending about the inner surface of the section 11 is a liner 12, formed of rubber or any other cushioning material. The bands further include a flexible section indicated generally by the numeral 13, FIGS. 1 and 7, and a band 14 constituted by a plurality of connecting links 14A, enclosed in a sheath or cover 14B composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as rubber or the like. A plate 15 is carried by the band 14 at one end, the other end of the band 14 carrying a tongue or tab 16, as best shown on FIGS. 2 and 3. The plate 15 is adjustably connected to the saddle 11 at one end thereof, the tongue 16 being releasably connected to the saddle at the other end thereof, which structure will be hereinafter more clearly set forth.

A yoke generally indicated by the reference character 17 is mounted on one end of the band or saddle 11 and comprises a pair of mutually spaced uppermost flanges 18 and a pair of mutually spaced lowermost flanges 19 connected by a bridge or support 21, FIGS. 2 and 5. As more clearly shown on FIGS. 5 and 6 the bridge 21 is provided with a web or guide lug 22 integrally formed therewith. Carried by and adjustably supported on the member 21 is a hanger or bracket 23 having spaced lugs 24 extending outwardly therefrom and connected by a web 25. The bracket 23 is further provided with a pair of channels or slots having disposed therein the terminal ends of a plate or locking element 27. FIGS. 5 and 6, with one face thereof in abutting engagement with lug 22 on member 21. The element 27 is maintained in the position shown on 'FIG. 5 by a pair of screws or the like 28, FIGS. 5 and 6, the screws being in threaded engagement with element 27 and disposed within a recess formed in member 21 in registration with an access opening 29 provided in saddle'll and liner .12. By this arrangement the bracket 23 may be locked to the member 21 and adjusted with respect thereto.

It will be noted on FIGS. 2 and 5 that the tongue 16 is disposed between the aforesaid flanges .19 and a releasable latch 31 is disposed at each side thereof, the latches being pivotally mounted at the upper end thereof to the tongue by a pin 32 carried by the tongue. The other end of each latch is provided with a notch or recess 33 for receiving a locking pin 34 carried by each of the flanges 19 and thus by this arrangement the flexible section '13 is releasably locked to the saddle 11. To provide a secondary lock, as a safety precaution a safety pin 35 is inserted through a hole 36 formed in one of the flanges 19 and into a recess 37 formed in one of the latches 31, the pin being carried by a chain 38 secured to the flange 19, as at 3%.

The other end of the saddle 11 is provided with a yoke generally indicated by the number 41 which comprises a pair of mutually spaced flanges 42 having disposed therebetween and attached to the saddle 11 as by bolts 40 or the line a hanger or bracket 43 similar to the bracket 23 and provided with a web 42 similar to the web 25 on hanger 23. The bracket 43- is further provided with a pair of mutually spaced lugs '44 extending outwardly therefrom and a pair of oppositely disposed recesses 45 formed in the lowermost lug of the pair of lugs 44. Each of the flanges 42 has integrally formed thereon a bracket or support 46 rotatably receiving a screw of actuating member 47, as best shown on FIGS. 3 and 4.

As more clearly shown on FIGS. 3 and 4, an adjustable link 4-8 is mounted adjacent each flange 4 2, as by a pin 49 secured within the recess 45 in lowermost lug 44 in any conventional manner. Each pin 49 extends through an opening formed in each flange :2 and an elongated slot 51 formed in each link. The upper end of each link 48 threadedly engages each actuating member 47, as at 52-, the lower end thereof carrying a pin 53, which pin 'pivotally connects the plate 15 on the flexible section 13 to the rigid saddle, FIGS. 3 and 4. The aforesaid link and screw arrangement provides adjustment for tensioning the handling band.

The pin 53 is carried by a chain 54 secured thereto by a link 55 at one end thereof, the other end of the chain being secured to one of the flanges 42, as at 56.

The forward handling band 10', as heretofore stated, is similar to the after handling band 1.6 except that the forward band is provided with a pair of saddle guide elements 57, as. best shown on FIG. 10. These guide elements. are each bolted to the saddle 11 of band 10, as at 58, the other end thereof being provided with a guide groove 59 which receives the conventional forward booster shoe on booster B, FIG. 10. These guides are employed to orient the forward handling band ll) with respect to the forward booster shoe S.

When attaching the handling bands to the booster B, the saddle 11 is first placed over the upper portion of boost-er B, and then the flexible section 13 placed about the lower portion thereof. With the handling band in this position, as shown on BIG. 7, the tongue 16 on the flexible band .13 thereof is brought up to a position adjacent the yoke flanges :19 with the notches 33- on latches 31 in engagement with pins 34 carried by flanges 19. The tongue 16 is then forcibly moved out and up into the flanges 19, so that the links or latches rotate about the pins 34, thus bringing the tongue and latches in line between the aforesaid flanges. By this arrangement it will be understood that the-tongue and latches provide an oventhe-center locking action. The safety pin 35 is then inserted through opening 36 in one of the flanges 19 on yoke 17 and into the recess 37 in one of the latches 31 thereby to provide a secondary look as a safety precautionp When this operation has been completed the actuating screws 47 carried by yoke 41 are then actuated an amount sufiicient to tighten the bands on the booster.

When the handling bands '10 and Ill have been attached to the booster B, as shown on FIG. 7, or other missile component to be supported, it is desirable that the aforesaid booster, by reason of bands and it) be positioned for easy access so that testing or similar operations, together with easy transportation, may be carried out. To accomplish such operations and transportation a conventional dolly is employed, such, for example, as the type described and claimed in copcnding application, Serial Number 86,271, filed January 3 1, 196 1, for a Missile Dolly, Harold Himmelberger, inventor, now Patent Number 3,103,062.

The aforesaid dolly consists of a frame at, supported at four points by leg assemblies '62 having cross beams 63 extending therebetween, and suitable braces to insure rigidity of the frame, FIGS. 8 and 9. The leg assemblies each carry a mounting or supporting structure 64 having a saddle 65' and a band locking and supporting device 66' mounted thereon, the locking device being adapted to cooperate with hangers 23 and 43- carried by the saddles 11 of bands .10 and 10, thereby to support and lock the booster B to the dolly.

As best shown on FIGS. 11 and 12, each locking device comprises a lever 67 p-ivotally mounted on the support 64, as at 68, and provided with a handle or grip element 69 for actuating the lever 67. The lever 67 is further provided with a pair of links 71, pivotally mounted at one end thereof, as at '72 to the lever 67, the other end of each link 71 being pivotally connected to a locking bar or detent 73, as at 74, which bars are slidably mounted in support 64-, FIGS. 11 and 12. While the locking device is shown in connection with only one of the brackets 23, it will be understood that such a locking device is used in connection with brackets 23 and 4-2 on each band assembly 1t} and Ill. When the bars 73 are in a locked position, FIGS. 11 and 12, it twill be noted that they are disposed on opposite sides of web 25 of bracket 23 in engagement with lugs 24 thereon, with the bracket in abutting engagement with support 64 and saddle 65 of the dolly. By the aforesaid arrangement each band assembly it and 167 is securely supported and locked on the dolly thereby to position the booster B in a position for easy access sothat testing or other essential operations may be readily accomplished.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that new and improved material handling devices have been devised that will be positive and safe in operation, which may be released with the utmost dispatch and facility and which may be readily attached to and detached from a missile dolly and adjusted after engagement thereof with an article to be supported, so that accidental release due to vibrations or shock will be prevented.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A material handling device including an annular band assembly for engagement with an article to be sup ported and having a rigid section and a flexible section, bracket means including a plurality of hugs on said rigid section for engagement with a support, said sections surrounding the article to be supported, a plurality of adjustable devices on the rigid section and connected to said flexible section for adjustably connecting the flexible sec tion to the rigid section, a plurality of latches. rotatably mounted on one terminal end of the flexible section, means carried by the flexible section at the terminal end thereof for rotatably mounting the latches thereon, latch receiving means secured to the rigid section, locking means on said plurality of latches and movable into locking engagement with said latch receiving means, and means carried by the rigid section in engagement with one latch of said plurality of latches for maintaining the locking means in looking engagement with the latch receiving means.

2. A material handling device as recited in claim 1, wherein said adjustable devices include links pivotally attached to the flexible section on opposite sides thereof and supported on. the rigid section, each of said links having a slot therein, pin means secured to opposite sides of said rigid section and disposed within the slot in each link and actuating elements rotatably mounted on the rigid section in threadable engagement with each link of said pair of links and abutting engagement with said pin means. a

3. A material handling device as recited in claim 1,

wherein said latches, further include a shaft rotatably mounted on the terminal end of the flexible section of said shaft at one end, and a pair of lockable links having a notch at the other end thereof, pin means carried by the rigid section and engageable in said notch in each link of the pair of links, and a locking phi carried by and extending through an opening in the rigid section into a recess in one link of said pair of links for maintaining the links in a locked condition.

4. In material handling apparatus, an annular strap assembly comprising a rigid semicircular section and a flexible section releiasably and adjustably mounted on the rigid section, a recess formed near each terminal end of said rigid semicircular section, lug means on the rigid section disposed Within each recess, a hanger fitted in each recess and provided with a slot and flange means overhanging said slot, a locking plate disposed Within the slot in each hanger in abutting engagement with the flange means and the lug means, a pair of screws loosely fitted in the lug means in threaded engagement With said locking plate thereon for releasably and adjustably attaching the hangers to said rigid section, a pair of mutually spaced locking bar engaging and supporting members on each hanger, means including a pair of links carried on one terminal end of said semicircular section and connected to said flexible section for adjusting the flexible section, and means including a plurality of latches carried by the flexible section engageable With complementary means carried at the other terminal end of the rigid semicircular section for releasably connecting the flexible section to the rigid semicircular section.

5. A material handling device of the class described for supporting an object on a missile dolly and comprising an annular strap assembly having a rigid semicircular section and a flexible section, said flexible section being releasably and adjustab-ly connected to said rigid section, a pair of links pivotally mounted at one end of the flexible section, complementary pin means carried at one end of the rigid section, an arcuate recess in each link of said pair of links and receiving said pin means for releasab-ly connecting the flexible member to the rigid section, a locking pin carried by the rigid section in engagement With one link of said pair of links for maintaining the arcuate recess in each link in engagement with the pin means, link members pivotally mounted on the other end of said flexible section and adjustably supported on the other end of the rigid section, a slot formed in the link members, guide pins fixed to the rigid section and disposed in said slots for adjustably supporting the link members on said other end of the rigid member, actuating means mounted on said other end of the rigid members r in threaded engagement With said link members and in abutting engagement with said guide pins, said link members, guide pins, slots and actuating means adjustably connecting the flexible section to the rigid section, and

hanger means including lug means mounted at said ends 5 of the rigid section for engagement with a missile dolly. 6. In a material handling apparatus, the combination of a mobile dolly having a frame structure, handling bands surrounding an object and releasably supported on said frame, said handling bands having rigid. sections and flexible sections releasably and adjustably connected to said rigid sections, an adjustable hanger carried by said rigid section near each terminal end thereof, a pair of mutually spaced lugs formed on each hanger, lever means pivotally mounted on the frame, a pair of mutually spaced links pivotally mounted on the lever means, a locking bar pivotally mounted on each link and movable between and in locking engagement with said spaced lugs on each hanger for releasably supporting the bands on the frame, said frame having recess means for receiving the hanger near each terminal end of the rigid section to additionally support the handling bands on the frame, means carried by the flexible sections in engagement With pin means on the rigid sections for releasably connecting the flexible sections to the rigid sections, and means carried by the rigid sections and attached to the flexible sections for adjustably connecting the flexible sections to the rigid sections.

7. In a material handling apparatus, the combination of a dolly having a frame and leg assemblies, mounting plates carried by said leg assemblies, said frame having recess means formed therein, handling bands surrounding an object and releasably supported on the mounting plates, said handling bands having rigid sections and flexible sec tions releasably and adjustably connected to said rigid section-s, releasable supporting means carried by said mounting plates, hanger means adjustably mounted on said rigid sections and engageable by said releasably supporting means and disposed within said recess means for releasably supporting the bands on said mounting plates, plate means mounted on said rigid section in locking engagement with the hanger means for maintaining the hanger means in an adjusted position, a plurality of screws carried by the rigid sections and threaded into said plate means for mounting the plate means on the rigid section and maintaining the plate means in locking engagement with the hanger means, latch means carried by said flexible sections, locking pins carried. by said rigid section in engagement With and cooperating with said latch means for releasably connecting the flexible sections to the rigid sections, and link members carried by said rigid sections, and connected to the flexible sections, actuating means carried by the rigid sections in threaded engagement With and cooperating With the link members for adjustabl connecting the flexible sections to the rigid sections.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,277,737 Wilkinson Mar. 31, 1942 2,925,980 Nearman Feb. 23, 1950 3,018,129 Culver Ian. 23, 1962 

1. A MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE INCLUDING AN ANNULAR BAND ASSEMBLY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ARTICLE TO BE SUPPORTED AND HAVING A RIGID SECTION AND A FLEXIBLE SECTION, BRACKET MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LUGS ON SAID RIGID SECTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SUPPORT, SAID SECTIONS SURROUNDING THE ARTICLE TO BE SUPPORTED, A PLURALITY OF ADJUSTABLE DEVICES ON THE RIGID SECTION AND CONNECTED TO SAID FLEXIBLE SECTION FOR ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING THE FLEXIBLE SECTION TO THE RIGID SECTION, A PLURALITY OF LATCHES ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON ONE TERMINAL END OF THE FLEXIBLE SECTION, MEANS CARRIED BY THE FLEXIBLE SECTION AT THE TERMINAL END THEREOF FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING THE LATCHES THEREON, LATCH RECEIVING MEANS SECURED TO THE RIGID SECTION, LOCKING MEANS ON SAID PLURALITY OF LATCHES AND MOVABLE INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LATCH RECEIVING MEANS, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE RIGID SECTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE LATCH OF SAID PLURALITY OF LATCHES FOR MAINTAINING THE LOCKING MEANS IN LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LATCH RECEIVING MEANS. 